Lessons learned at young age serve Mills well

Not only was dad Roly a former professional player whose association with Northampton Town in a variety of guises spanned almost four decades, but he then signed for Brian Clough as an impressionable teenager.

Both men, unsurprisingly, had a huge influence on Mills, who this Saturday will proudly take his place in the Bootham Crescent dugout as the Football League returns to York for the first time since 2004 when Wycombe Wanderers are the visitors.

“I am very fortunate in that respect,” the 50-year-old tells the Yorkshire Post when asked about the roles played by Mills senior and the self-styled Ol’ Big Head.

“My Dad is the fourth or fifth highest appearance maker of all time at Northampton. After finishing playing, he then went on to the coaching side and was involved with the first team.

“Then he coached the reserves and after that he went on to the commercial side. They used to call him ‘Mr Northampton Town’ down there.

“Sadly, I lost my Dad a couple of years ago as I am sure he would have been very proud of what has gone on. But he is still massive in my life and I have that picture of him just behind your head.”

With that, the Yorkshire Post turns round to see said photograph of Mills senior nestling in between a couple of images from York’s Conference play-off final triumph in May.

“All my family,” Mills adds, “have influenced me but particularly my dad with his football background. Then, I went and had the best apprenticeship imagineable under the gaffer at Nottingham Forest.

“He was a genius and a master. That helps me now, particularly in terms of his man-management. I am my own man, by a long way. I could never be like him and wouldn’t want to be, as he could be the nicest man in the world and then the horriblest.

“He was what he was. But I will be forever thankful for the 13 years I had with him. I have always said down the years that every player should have had an apprenticeship under him.

“The lessons about discipline and how to approach life were invaluable. Plus, how to respect people. Joining Forest was a wonderful start to my football life.”

Mills’s education under both his father and Clough has been put to good use in York over the past 21 months as a team deep in relegation trouble has been transformed into one that will this weekend return to the Football League.

Bringing about such a transformation has not been easy but, as last May’s Wembley double of promotion and the lifting of the FA Trophy so wonderfully proved, he managed it.

“Getting back in the League has meant everything to the fans, the staff and the city,” admits the City chief. “I saw the desperation that existed to get back in the League from the moment I arrived (from Tamworth in October, 2010).

“The fans, the people at the club and the chairman were all the same. They didn’t like having to go to certain grounds in the Conference that didn’t really inspire.

“This is a fantastic club and fantastic people. Clubs with a new stadium often push on but one step at a time. That was half the problem when I came in. As a club, York hadn’t really embraced the league they were in.

“I felt we had to change that. People had to stop thinking York were still a Football League side. They were doing it subconsciously, thinking York weren’t a non-League side. But we were and that possibly hurt.

“Coming from the outside, I could see that. People were saying things like, ‘We shouldn’t be going here’. But they should because York were a non-League club.

“That took a few months to change. I arrived in October and that possibly helped, because by the time last season had kicked off I could see there had been a change in how people thought.

“All that got us to where we are now and looking forward to being back in the League.”

The mindset of the club suitably changed by the start of last season, Mills set about the task of transforming York’s on-field fortunes.

After an early wobble that saw three of the opening seven games lost, City slipped into gear and spent just one week outside the play-off places from early October onwards.

A fourth-place finish then meant a two-legged semi-final against Mansfield that, thanks to an extra-time strike by Matty Blair in the return game at Field Mill, was safely negotiated to set up a Wembley date against Luton Town.

For Mills, promotion was obviously the main target but he also had his own reasons for wanting to beat the Hatters – to deliver on a promise he’d made to chairman Jason McGill and a couple of the York squad 18 months earlier.

He recalls: “When I came here two years ago, we were in relegation trouble and Luton came to try and sign a couple of my players.

“I said at the time to the players concerned and the chairman, ‘Give me 12 months and we’ll be above Luton’.”

Goals from Ashley Chambers and Blair meant it was mission accomplished in confirming not only the Minstermen’s superiority over the Hatters but also a return to League combat where, once again, Mills has opposition teams in his sights.

He said: “When the fixtures were released, the Wycombe one was what jumped out. Being at home first was what we all wanted.

“Northampton was another one I looked for due to it being my home town and my Dad having played for them.

“Because he worked there all his career, that club will always be very close to my heart.

“We have them here quite early but are not down there until April. Bradford is another as, not so long ago, they were in the Premier League.

“I also lost one of my players (James Meredith) that I didn’t want to lose to Bradford this summer, so that adds a little bit of spice.

“As with wanting to get above Luton a couple of years ago, I want to be above Bradford. What I say to the players is, ‘Why can’t we go beat Bradford? And Rotherham? Why can’t we be above all these teams that just a couple of years ago York could only dream of playing against?’ We have to aim for that.”

Saturday’s opener against Wycombe will not only represent York’s return to the League but also that of their manager, who had a short and unhappy spell in charge of Notts County in 2004.

He lasted just seven months before being sacked in the November but, the York chief insists, vital lessons were still learned.

“What Notts County did teach me most of all is to how vital timing can be,” he said. “The place was a mess and I tried to do everything on top of picking the team. That doesn’t happen any more because I learned. Now, I get people around me I trust.

“I brought Des Lyttle in (as first-team coach this summer) to join Darren (Gee, assistant manager) and me. Darren is vital to me. Again, going to the Cloughy and Taylor situation, Brian got all the plaudits but Peter was immense.

“It is the same with me and Darren. He doesn’t want any of the publicity, but he is massive to me.”

After Notts County, Mills had a few months off before deciding to, effectively, start again with Alfreton Town in Conference North. A move to Tamworth followed, as did promotion to the Conference before York came calling.

Mills said: “So many people said after Notts County that what happened could have killed me in terms of management. So, to bounce back like I have is pleasing. I was determined to do that.

“Initially, I had a few months off and then decided to start again with Alfreton. I have had to work hard since Notts County and be strong mentally. I don’t suffer fools any more. I am 50 now and have learned a lot. If it was all highs, it would be something wrong.

“When you have your lows, I think it makes you a better person. I haven’t changed but I won’t suffer the fools now where, possibly in the past, I tried to give everyone time. Now, it is all about York City and doing the best job I can.”